Homemade Butter Chicken From Scratch

If you are looking for a comforting but balanced plate for one of your weeknight dinners, this easy homemade butter chicken with fresh cucumber and tomato salad is a perfect fit.

Making your homemade authentic butter chicken sauce from scratch means it is rich and delicious, but also packed with nutrition from fresh ingredients. Plus, it is a perfect addition to your collection of homemade sauces.

Why This Homemade Recipe Works

Fresh Aromatics: Using whole onions, garlic, and fresh ginger creates a deeply complex flavour base.

Natural Creaminess: Blending raw cashews directly into the sauce gives it a rich, luxurious texture.

Perfect Balance: The combination of fresh tomatoes and canned crushed tomatoes provides both brightness and deep colour.

Today, I’m taking you through how to make a restaurant-quality, silky butter chicken sauce at home—plus my easy method for air-roasting juicy, tandoori-style chicken to bring it all together

Roasting the Tandoor Style Chicken

I make the chicken put in the roasting as it takes 25 minutes so I can make the butter chicken sauce while chicken is getting cooked

Ingredients for Tandoor Style Chicken

Boneless chicken thigh fillets, greek style yogurt, salt and turmeric

Coat & Air-Roast the Chicken

Toss the chicken thighs in the marinade until evenly coated. Place them in your Ninja Foodi or air fryer basket and roast at 180°C for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until cooked through and nicely charred around the edges.

Making Silky Butter Chicken Sauce at Home

Ingredients

For this scratch-made base, you do not need to worry about finely chopping your ingredients. Simply cut them into rough chunks, as everything will be blended until smooth later on.

Step-by-Step Instruction

Step 1: Sautéing the chunky ingredients

Heat a splash of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Toss your rough-cut onion, garlic, ginger, fresh tomatoes, cashews, and coriander leaves straight into the pan. Along with those, add your cumin seeds and a pinch of salt. Sauté everything together for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the veggies soften up and the spices smell incredible.

Step 2: Build the Flavours

Stir in the garam masala, turmeric, tomato paste, and chilli powder. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the spices become fragrant and coat the ingredients evenly.

Step 3: Simmer the Base

Pour in the canned crushed tomatoes, sugar, and water. Stir everything well, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for 5 minutes so the flavors merge and the tomatoes soften completely.

Step 4: Blend Until Silky Smooth

Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool for a few minutes. Transfer everything into a blender and blitz on high speed until it transforms into a rich, velvety-smooth sauce.

Homemade Butter Chicken Sauce Storage and Prep Note:

This thick, rich homemade butter chicken sauce stores beautifully in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you want to plan ahead, freeze it for up to 1 month—just thaw and warm it up in a pan for an instant weeknight dinner base!

Bringing the Butter Chicken Together

Ingredients: Half of the blended sauce, roasted chicken pieces, additional ½ cup water, 1 small chunk of butter, a splash of thickened cream.

Bringing the Curry Together

Now it is time put together our homemade butter chicken, So pour half of the blended sauce into your pan along with a ½ cup of water and let it simmer gently for 10 minutes to deepen in flavour. Next, stir in your chopped, air-roasted chicken thighs, a small chunk of butter, and a splash of thickened cream to give the gravy its signature rich, velvety finish. Allow the curry to simmer for a final 10 minutes so the chicken can heat through completely and soak up all those incredible aromas before serving.

How to Serve this Homemade Butter Chicken in a Balance Meal

Butter chicken is naturally rich, creamy, and deeply comforting. To turn it into a perfectly balanced family dinner without it feeling heavy, the trick is pairing that rich gravy with something crisp and acidic.

I always serve this over a modest scoop of fluffy basmati rice (or with a warm piece of naan) to soak up the sauce, and pair it directly with my quick 3-Ingredient Israeli Salad. By serving the hot curry alongside a cold, crunchy mix of finely diced cucumber, seeded tomatoes, and red onion, the fresh acidity cuts right through the richness of the cream and cashews. It adds a great serving of fresh vegetables to your plate, keeps the meal vibrant, and makes sure you don’t feel weighed down after dinner!